2015-16 UW Badger Basketball Discussion Thread

[Thunder Muscle]

Wanted to keep the Stone stuff in this thread. As RS' tweet said, he's apparently leaning Wisconsin. If true, and Dekker for some reason comes back (don't think he does), man that would be a nightmarish frontline again.

Think we see Koenig/Happ/Hayes/Stone as four of the starters next year if they do land Stone, with SG to be determined.

I think Stone ultimately picks UW too. I don't like the Badgers at all, but guess its good to keep some of the marquee talent in State. Who are the other legit schools in the running? I thought I saw UCONN, Oklahoma State, Maryland, and Duke. Stone looked pretty smooth when I watched him last weekend. That said, he was a ton better the competition.

[Aaron It Out]

When I went to SPASH I always thought Jake Gollon would have been a really good fit on the Badgers. As far as I know he was never even looked at. Seemed weird for a 6-8 guy with good size and range who could put up a lot of points and rebounds. Ended up putting up 20 and shutting down Jabari in the Mercer upset. I don't think Bo pays much attention to the area. There were a few players in our conference that were big farm guys that I thought had enough skill and work ethic to be groomed after a season or two with Bo. I do find it a little weird that these guys are pretty lucky if they just get the mid majors looking at them. It might have something to do with many of them not pursuing basketball much outside of the regular school season. But even then that's not the case for some of them.

[Kerb Hohl]

Wanted to keep the Stone stuff in this thread. As RS' tweet said, he's apparently leaning Wisconsin. If true, and Dekker for some reason comes back (don't think he does), man that would be a nightmarish frontline again.

Think we see Koenig/Happ/Hayes/Stone as four of the starters next year if they do land Stone, with SG to be determined.

I think Stone ultimately picks UW too. I don't like the Badgers at all, but guess its good to keep some of the marquee talent in State. Who are the other legit schools in the running? I thought I saw UCONN, Oklahoma State, Maryland, and Duke. Stone looked pretty smooth when I watched him last weekend. That said, he was a ton better the competition.

Duke is not in that list, but otherwise, you got it. Seems like it is UW vs. Under Armour right now with the UW lean.

[buckboy]

Pritzl reminds me a lot of Brust. Just better form. He will play a lot next year imo.

[Thunder Muscle]

When I went to SPASH I always thought Jake Gollon would have been a really good fit on the Badgers. As far as I know he was never even looked at. Seemed weird for a 6-8 guy with good size and range who could put up a lot of points and rebounds. Ended up putting up 20 and shutting down Jabari in the Mercer upset. I don't think Bo pays much attention to the area. There were a few players in our conference that were big farm guys that I thought had enough skill and work ethic to be groomed after a season or two with Bo. I do find it a little weird that these guys are pretty lucky if they just get the mid majors looking at them. It might have something to do with many of them not pursuing basketball much outside of the regular school season. But even then that's not the case for some of them.

Yeah I don't recall many central WI guys going to UW or getting a ton of D1 love. I know Wausau West (or East) had a big guy at Georgia a few years back. I thought Virginia had a guy from Wausau too a year or so back, maybe still do.

I know MU got a commit from a kid Wisconsin Rapids before he even played high school but see that kid isn't committed anymore (assume b/c Buzz left) and also notice he is listed with Oshkosh North now. Very interesting. My wife's family is from the Rapids area so was interested to see his progress, and obviously the MU tie.

[neiLz]

Last year, i compared Nigel Hayes to Udonis Haslem. However this year Hayes has improved in damn near every category I think his upside is higher than haslem. I wouldn't be surprised if he left this year although I think he should stay one more. His only downfall is his height. I am not sure how he projects due to his height. Ford did mock him in the 1st this year and I think DX has him going #16 next year.

[tski1972]

When I went to SPASH I always thought Jake Gollon would have been a really good fit on the Badgers. As far as I know he was never even looked at. Seemed weird for a 6-8 guy with good size and range who could put up a lot of points and rebounds. Ended up putting up 20 and shutting down Jabari in the Mercer upset. I don't think Bo pays much attention to the area. There were a few players in our conference that were big farm guys that I thought had enough skill and work ethic to be groomed after a season or two with Bo. I do find it a little weird that these guys are pretty lucky if they just get the mid majors looking at them. It might have something to do with many of them not pursuing basketball much outside of the regular school season. But even then that's not the case for some of them.

Yeah I don't recall many central WI guys going to UW or getting a ton of D1 love. I know Wausau West (or East) had a big guy at Georgia a few years back. I thought Virginia had a guy from Wausau too a year or so back, maybe still do.

Jesperson from Merrill I believe. He's since transferred to Northern Iowa.

[DigitalFool]

Yeah I don't recall many central WI guys going to UW or getting a ton of D1 love. I know Wausau West (or East) had a big guy at Georgia a few years back. I thought Virginia had a guy from Wausau too a year or so back, maybe still do.

I know MU got a commit from a kid Wisconsin Rapids before he even played high school but see that kid isn't committed anymore (assume b/c Buzz left) and also notice he is listed with Oshkosh North now. Very interesting. My wife's family is from the Rapids area so was interested to see his progress, and obviously the MU tie.

Grew up in Rapids. Not many have moved on from the basketball program [Lincoln] over the years even when they had state success years ago, but football has been pretty productive.

[Badgerlander]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BadgerMBB/status/580451001477521408[/tweet]

[Licensed to Il]

My gut feeling is that Nigel wants to go pro. He is taking a lot of threes at inopportune times, aas if he is trying to prove he can be that type of player. And yet his perimeter skills are lacking for a NBA wing. Could he crack an NBA roster? Absolutely. But there is nothing there at the moment to get excited about. It would just be a huge mistake for him to go pro this year, and I think he will. Great college forward. Tweener in the pros, who would have to dramatically improve his shooting and ball handling (or grow 3 inches) to establish himself at either position.

A buddy told me that Diamond has tried to qualify several times for UW and has not been able to test (ACT/SAT) high enough. Has anyone else heard if this is true?

[Kerb Hohl]

My gut feeling is that Nigel wants to go pro. He is taking a lot of threes at inopportune times, aas if he is trying to prove he can be that type of player. And yet his perimeter skills are lacking for a NBA wing. Could he crack an NBA roster? Absolutely. But there is nothing there at the moment to get excited about. It would just be a huge mistake for him to go pro this year, and I think he will. Great college forward. Tweener in the pros, who would have to dramatically improve his shooting and ball handling (or grow 3 inches) to establish himself at either position.

A buddy told me that Diamond has tried to qualify several times for UW and has not been able to test (ACT/SAT) high enough. Has anyone else heard if this is true?

I have not seen him take any 3s at an inopportune time. He shoots 39% and is almost always open when he shoots them. His 3 point shooting has been a godsend with teams doubling Frank. He makes it so everyone on the court can hit a 3.

[sidney moncrief]

That's been the rumor with Stone for a while but it's not really something anybody can confirm unless they hear it straight from him or his family. It's not like ACT scores are made public so we could just go look it up. But yeah, that's been the rumor floating around recently.

[sidney moncrief]

I get the opposite gut feeling with Nigel and feel like he really wants to stay. He just looks like he's having a blast in school, similar to Frank when he decided to come back for his senior year. I don't know how you could read so much into his 3 point shooting and determine he wants to go pro. He rarely takes that shot unless left wide open so I'm not sure I recall many inopportune 3's. The only thing that's pointed him towards the pros is him exploring his draft prospects. I think a lot of guys do that though, even if they don't plan on leaving so that they can gauge what areas of their game they still need work on. Maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part and he actually does have his eyes set on leaving, but I'm skeptical of that right now.

[Licensed to Il]

Just to be clear, I always take the side of the players in the "stay or go" argument. But I genuinely think it would be in his best interest to play another year at UW, with an understanding that Bo will expand his role in ways that will benefit his pro ambition.

[Licensed to Il]

Dekker is another guy that I go back and forth on. He probably doesn't have a ton of reasons to come back to UW. There is money and new challenges waiting for him in the NBA. But for whatever reason, I don't feel like he has put it all together yet. I know it is a pipe dream (that he returns to UW), but if I was his dad and he asked me what he should do, I would probably tell him he couldn't go wrong either way, but in 20 years he probably wouldn't regret a fourth year at UW.

[Bernman]

Pritzl reminds me a lot of Brust. Just better form. He will play a lot next year imo.

Someone asked him in an interview if he compares himself to Brust, and even he said yes. However, that's in part why he doesn't project to be ready next year, actually. Brust was pretty terrible as a true frosh.

[Bernman]

That's been the rumor with Stone for a while but it's not really something anybody can confirm unless they hear it straight from him or his family. It's not like ACT scores are made public so we could just go look it up. But yeah, that's been the rumor floating around recently.

If you're reading the tea leaves, that's not what they say. People who've speculated about that have been struck down by insiders. Same thing with those who've questioned if he's passed the NCAA clearinghouse. What the insiders haven't disputed is that he needed to bump up his GPA a smidgen to satisfy the notoriously stingy UW admissions. But they've inkled that he was rallying, maybe has already gotten beyond the threshold, and are confident he'll get in and be a Badger when it's all said and done.

[Bernman]

I dunno...I feel like Draymond had a bit more interior/PF ability than Nigel in college (and now he has developed the SF stuff). Could be wrong, though.

He was much stronger, and is discernibly longer and more athletic. He also was oddly a point forward for MSU at times. He was a very unique player, who I was intrigued with as a prospect.

I think of Hayes as more of a savvy, finesse, well-rounded tweener. He's not the same level prospect as Green was to me.

Corliss Williamson is probably the better comparison, although I struggle to find real accurate ones too, and that's why he should stay and establish himself more. Right now he's the 3rd fiddle who is straddling the 1st and 2nd rounds. If he comes back he will be 1st or 2nd fiddle and could comfortably entrench himself in the 1st rd. And that's what I expect him to do because he doesn't seem like a guy who hates or struggles in college so he must leave when the window is open even a crack.

[sidney moncrief]

That's been the rumor with Stone for a while but it's not really something anybody can confirm unless they hear it straight from him or his family. It's not like ACT scores are made public so we could just go look it up. But yeah, that's been the rumor floating around recently.

If you're reading the tea leaves, that's not what they say. People who've speculated about that have been struck down by insiders. Same thing with those who've questioned if he's passed the NCAA clearinghouse. What the insiders haven't disputed is that he needed to bump up his GPA a smidgen to satisfy the notoriously stingy UW admissions. But they've inkled that he was rallying, maybe has already gotten beyond the threshold, and are confident he'll get in and be a Badger when it's all said and done.

Yeah I haven't been following it too closely so I'm sure this is more accurate than what I suggested about his ACT scores. I'm glad it sounds like things are moving along well for him to become a Badger. It would suck to see him playing against us in a Maryland uniform next year.

[xTitan]

I dunno...I feel like Draymond had a bit more interior/PF ability than Nigel in college (and now he has developed the SF stuff). Could be wrong, though.

He was much stronger, and is discernibly longer. He also was oddly a point forward for MSU at times. He was a very unique player, who I was intrigued with as a prospect.

I think of Hayes as more of a savvy, finesse, well-rounded tweener. He's not the same level prospect as Green was to me.

Corliss Williamson is probably the better comparison, although I struggle to find real accurate ones too, and that's why he should stay and establish himself more. Right now he's the 3rd fiddle who is straddling the 1st and 2nd rounds. If he comes back he will be 1st or 2nd fiddle and could comfortably entrench himself in the 1st rd. And that's what I expect him to do because he doesn't seem like a guy who hates or struggles in college so he must leave when the window is open even a crack.

I see a lot of skill to Hayes' game, but I do not see finesse at all, nobody takes the ball away from him on rebounds when he gets his hands on the ball, plus his ability to get to the rim and finish is impressive, especially since he plays below the rim.

I do not see Hayes going to the NBA after this year, he will most likely get feed back from the NBA scouts so he knows what he will have to work on to get to the next level, but will most definitely be back next year.